The Immigrant Nazarene

Matthew 2:13-23

[Mt 2:13] Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise and take the Child and His mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him." [14] And he arose and took the Child and His mother by night, and departed for Egypt; [15] and was there until the death of Herod, that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, "Out of Egypt did I call My Son." [16] Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its environs, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the magi. [17] Then that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying, [18] "A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; and she refused to be comforted, because they were no more."

[Mt 2:19] But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, [20] "Arise and take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child's life are dead." [21] And he arose and took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. [22] But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned {by God} in a dream, he departed for the regions of Galilee, [23] and came and resided in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, "He shall be called a Nazarene." (NAS)

Matthew 2:13-18

Wake up and take responsibility

I humbly relate to Joseph in so many ways. Here was a man who had no desire for greatness—in fact, he sought anything but notoriety. One gets the feeling that he would have been extremely happy to work construction with the guys all day long and then hang around the local watering hole before going home in the evening to a quiet and spotless house. Yet, above all else, Joseph reminds me of the constant temptation for comfort and the mundane over a life of service and complexity. We would rather slumber and live contentedly than stand prophetically in the middle of the fray.

Yesterday, at our men’s study someone asked me how I know if a man is ‘overextended’. I said because he ‘fudges on his habits to serve God.’ So, someone else asked; “How do we know if someone is ‘under-extended’.”

It made me think for a moment, but I realized that the ‘under-extended’ man rarely puts his time toward the pursuit of higher learning, better relationships, or greater goals. His life becomes filled with vices. We are prone towards self-satisfaction and comfort; they are like the weeds that grow naturally in our lawns. Healthy fruit and vegetables do not conveniently come out in straight and productive rows without a lot of work. So, sometimes God has to ‘slap us’ (the term used for the angel’s action against Joseph—to ‘slap from a stupor’) or set us in the middle of a crisis in order for us to respond with the passion that our God deserves. Yet, I have no doubt that He does this in order for us to ‘take our responsibilities’ and act with conviction instead of complacency.

It is tempting to hide from God; how easy this becomes, how habitual. That is only because no one encourages our slumber more than Satan himself. He would confuse us by using half-truths: “It is enough that I show up at work everyday.” “It is enough that I make it to church with my family.” A special temptation for me is to spend my time studying and discussing scripture; hanging out with like-minded Christians instead of going to the jails or detention centers or to the homeless.

Yet, studying of scripture is not pleasing to God in and of itself. It isn’t what God would have from me or any other Christian leader. The disciples of Jesus are sent to model, invite, teach and die.

Like Joseph, we have a role to play with a community larger than my comfort zone. We are called to encircle the entire family of God; those who are lonely, those in need, the hungry, disoriented, victimized or alienated.

“Wake up and take responsibility!” the angel still shouts to all of us who would rather hide in obscurity with Joseph.

The peace of this world

Herod was a toy of Satan, and in that role, Satan used him in every way possible to root out and rid himself of the Christ child. He must have thought God insane to enter the world in such a vulnerable manner. Herod exemplifies Satan’s lack of insight in two things:

1. He exemplifies the worst potential in each of us; believing our own self-promotion and losing sight of the fact that I am not the God of my own universe.

2. Yet, Herod also represents how futile the work of evil will always be in this world. For although evil did many things it could never (and will never) overcome goodness.

Herod was a man driven by a need to control. Like so many of us, the passion of Herod—left unchecked—became Herod’s true lord and ruler. Soon, his need to control became an obsessive-compulsive drive to kill those who might block his path. It drove him to the point of paranoia as he slaughtered not only his best advisors—but also his own wife and children.

In another way, Herod represents the response of the world-at-large to evil. This is exemplified in Rome’s tolerance of the crazed potentate. The people of Galilee, Samaria and Judea had always been subjugated by their rulers—even by Solomon (which became the downfall of the undivided rule of Israel). Since the time of David, they have never been respected and certainly never loved—just used for political ends. Even today, this spit of land is simply as tool of larger world powers that use the people and the land as a pivotal link to the political strife in the Middle East.

In Christ’s day, the land was only noticeable because it sat on a major land trade route between Egypt, Africa and the Orient. It was never seen as an economic or cultural powerhouse by any of its many conquerors; it was always a means to controlling the area for trade and politics. There was no inherent worth to the land or its people they were just born in the wrong place and always at the wrong time.

Like Herod, most people knew that if the people were allowed to worship—they would pretty much remain tolerable; their religion was allowed as an opiate but was crushed when it became a cause for justice. Is that not always the case of religion in our world? When religion and the State agree; then the religion is nationalized, when religion stands for the cause of the poor—it is ostracized. Is the religion in our countries a national tool or a cause for justice?

Herod promoted many building projects—not only to his own ends—but also for the Jews. The temple of Jerusalem as well as many building projects that enhanced public health were among some of his major accomplishments. Yet, he was brutal and malicious as a ruler. Death accented even his most intimate relationships and justice only haunted his courts—she certainly never found a home there (in fact, Herod himself was haunted by the ‘ghost’ of the wife—Miriamne—whom he had murdered during his reign).

Rome tolerated Herod because he kept the troublemakers at bay. As long as Rome could use Herod—they would leave him alone and here we see peace as our world measures it. We accept the fragile peace of tolerance and mistrust the unsurpassed peace of Christ. We are settling for the world’s definition of tolerable peace instead of striving for the peace that is heralded by justice.

Do we also settle for the world’s peace in our lives? Do we settle for the least and not strive for the most? Is mediocrity and its vices enough for our lives? Our families? Our churches? Do we allow our governments—through the military—or even our own cities—through our ‘justice’ system—to commit atrocities as long as they keep the streets quiet?

This is the peace of the world, the peace that is settled for, that avoids honesty, self-questioning and conflict. This is the peace that says; “Let’s not talk about injustice; let’s talk about sports, microbrews, the subtleties of wine or the idiocy of the latest reality show.”

This peace allowed Herod to be a despot; as long as he didn’t threaten Rome. This is not the peace of God. It is not the peace that God wants in our lives. He wants a peace of richness—not a peace of toleration. In the final run; any peace that tolerates evil—becomes evil.

Evil Unleashed

In a trifling fit of rage that the great Roman historian, Josephus (who chronicled Herod's debacles in much detail), didn’t even consider worth putting on paper, Herod slaughters all the male infants in Bethlehem. This would seem like a small number of babies (maybe fifty; certainly not hundreds) compared to the slaughtering of children and the genocide occurring throughout the world today. Yet, we are not to measure horror by its scale, but by the brokenness of each mother that loses her child and each child that loses her parents!

The first question that, of course, comes to mind is “How could God allow this?” Yet, I would alter that question in a slight manner; saying; “How, in a world so replete with evil, so tolerant of sin, could the infant child Jesus have escaped until his adulthood?”

You see, God did not kill the children; sin loosed in the world by man, fostered by Satan and (in this case) acted upon by Herod, killed these babies. One might even say that Herod played only a bit part in this drama. It was tolerance that played the larger part. The tolerance of the High Priests, the tolerance of Rome and it is our tolerance of injustice that continues to play a part in the evil unleashed in our communities and our world today.

Recently, my family was robbed in the middle of the night. Many things were taken—including our car. When asked about my thoughts regarding this incident, I replied; “We live a world where we are not surprised by violence; we are only surprised when it happens to us.”

The astounding thing was that a person entered our house in the middle of the night, went through our possessions and stole our car and none of us woke up. What would have happened if my seven-year-old daughter or my eleven-year-old son walked out to see where the noise was coming from?

What astounds me about this story of Herod’s horror is that God kept the Christ child safe—not to prevent him harm—but to keep him alive for his ultimate purpose! Remember, Jesus was only safe momentarily. Consider how much easier it would have been for him to have died instantaneously on that night, than to die as an adult experiencing the agony of a Roman cross.

That night, God was beginning to turn the world towards righteousness. To those mothers—there seemed no comfort. God must have agonized with them in the fog of this sinful world despoiled by our sins. Yet, in the face of this inarguable tragedy, the world—like a gigantic tanker that takes miles to turn—the rudder of the universe was shuddering to a new course.

Take heart. The tanker is turning. It takes time—but we the promise is filled full and the child was delivered. Satan did not capture the Christ child that night. By the slimmest margin, Joseph rose from obscurity and took his role as protector. Though the cries of despair filled the night, the candle of hope was still dimly lit.

Word Search

· Arise [1453 egeiro (eg-i'-ro)]; in almost every reading of Joseph we stumble across this word. The premise of the word is not just to be awakened, but to be roused from inactivity—even nonexistence. The more we read about Joseph, the more we understand that he really did not understand the significance of his role in the heavenly drama played out around him. He had to be prodded and pulled from inaction into action. Joseph, it seems would rather have stayed out of Mary’s life remaining innocuously in Galilee, then he wanted to remain hidden in Bethlehem. Next it was Egypt; he always seemed to seek to blend into the scenery and the angel always had to prompt him on.

Similarly, the angel prompts us to rise from comfort and obscurity; to take on the vulnerable Christ-child in our own communities and to become protector of the ‘least of these’. Will we respond to the call?

· Herod [Herod the Great, 37—4BC]: This is Herod the Great who fathered Herod Antipas, Phillip and Herod Archelaus. ‘Herod’ translates into our word for hero. However, Herod the Great was hated by his people and barely tolerated by Rome; his sons were hated even more and tolerated even less for their greed and lacking the political savvy of their father.

Josephus, a great historian of Herod’s dynasty, did not even record the incident of the slaughter of the infants in his highly accurate accounts of Herod the Great. However, most historians agree that Herod was quite capable of this action. It is the general consensus that this incident would not be recorded because it wasn’t even near as horrific as some of the other atrocities committed by this evil man.

When Herod the Great knew he was upon his death bed, his last order was an example of his unseemly life. He had heard that the Jews were already rejoicing in his deathly illness; celebrating his demise long before the actual event. As a result, he ordered that all the wealthy and wise of the Jewish people be rounded up and—upon Herod’s death—they should be put to the sword. That way, the mourning among the Jews would be greater than their rejoicing. Fortunately, this order was never carried out.

· And take [3880, paralambano]: This word is not just a verb meaning to ‘grab something and go somewhere’—as one might grab an espresso and go to work. The word quite literally means; “Take your responsibility seriously.”

· What was spoken [4137, pleroo (play-ro'-o)]: More than just the spoken word; this term means to accomplish or complete a contract, this word has the sense that a commitment has been met or a term of service fulfilled. It was also used for a prophecy that has come true.

· “Out of Egypt did I call My Son:” This is a reference to the prophecy of Hosea; [Hosea 11:1] “When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.” (KJV)

· “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; and she refused to be comforted, because they were no more.” Here is the great prophecy of Jeremiah fulfilled [Jeremiah 31:15]. Matthew’s work—more than anyone else’s’—shows us how each of the prophecies of the Messiah were fulfilled. The Messiah has come, this Messiah is Jesus, and Jesus will come again.

Matthew 2:19-23

[Mt 2:19] But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, [20] “Arise and take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.” [21] And he arose and took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. [22] But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned {by God} in a dream, he departed for the regions of Galilee, [23] and came and resided in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He shall be called a Nazarene.” (NAS)

Why the flight?

Jesus and his family fled religious and political persecution for perhaps the first seven to ten years of his life. At first, they fled from Nazareth to Bethlehem, then on farther into Egypt. Joseph would have been able to find a great deal of work in Egypt for it was a time of economic expansion under a stable government. Yet once again, Joseph would never left the comfort of his pedestrian life had he not been forced to move by the Angel. Repeatedly, Joseph had to be reminded that being the caretaker of the vulnerable Christ-Child would not allow him a simple life. Consistently, I must be alert to that same realization. Being a Christian—is not about me, it is not about my prosperity, nor my comforts; it is about protecting vulnerable families in whatever contemporary forms they are found.

Despite Joseph’s turmoil, God was creating a pathway for Jesus to remain protected until his destined time came. In the face of appalling violence on all sides, God hid and protected Jesus until he was ready to go to Jerusalem and die.

All of these experiences would go into forming the consciousness of Jesus. He would grow up vulnerable; persecuted religiously and politically and ostracized by his own neighbors over his birthright. It is difficult for us to understand the mind of Jesus if we do not understand these formative years; years that God had in mind for the development of His only begotten son. There was no ease to the early life of Jesus. He would understand the plight of any refugee. When we look at how we treat those who cross our borders because of political and religious persecution or financial hardships; we should remember how closely they resemble the family of Jesus Christ and treat them as we would treat our Lord himself.

Why this family?

Why did God pick a helpless maiden, pair her with a man of moderate abilities and send them fleeing all over the known world and then finally settle them in the most hate-torn region of the Middle East?

Again, we must remember that it was not God’s goal for His son to become comfortable among the mundane or powerful among the elite of this earth—but instead to become vulnerable among the humiliated. Who is there that can say; “Jesus doesn’t understand my predicament—he has never been through any situation like mine.”

All who have been persecuted, poor, fled in haste for safety; all those who have been threatened by the presence of evil can know the presence of the persecuted Jesus. It is not the comfortable who can claim identity with the persecuted Savior; it is the vulnerable and those who comfort them. When we heed the message of Joseph to come to the Christ-child’s protection; then we can claim proximity to the Christ child. In God’s Kingdom, we are told that our treatment of the vulnerable will be the standard by which we are judged. Without hesitation, God sent His son to experience the helplessness of the refugee, the intimidated and the persecuted. That was the ‘lens’ through which Jesus saw life as a child. Do we see the world through a similar lens?

Why Nazareth?

Yet, why did God choose Nazareth for His son to be raised? Why Galilee? Why under such turmoil? Why at a time when the world was so young?

We have to understand the importance of this region. Nazareth was hated among the Jews and also among its conquerors because it is where all the trouble of the region seemed to breed. Because of its strategic position near the top of Israel, in the middle of the trade roads; Galilee was always the first to pick up the sword and the last to put it down. Thus Rabbi’s would say of the region; “Galilee, Galilee, thou hatest the Torah.”

Nazareth was a cosmopolitan city, home to a Roman cohort, half-breeds and religious zealots; the languages of the world would be spoken freely on her streets. “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” was the condemnation of Nathaniel in John 1:46. It was a town of compromise and foreigners (both hated by strict Jews like Nathaniel).

Jesus bore the prophetic title of ‘the least of these’ intentionally all through his life. When the temple guard came to arrest him; they demanded to see, “Jesus the Nazarene [Mk 14:67; Jn 14:5 & 7].” Jesus never argued about the title, he never shook it off; he even called himself by that derisive term long after his own ‘rejected’ village rejected him. However, interestingly enough, demons used that same title in fear of Jesus [Mark 1:23-24]. “Nazarene,” those who understood the promise of God would understand that this was the chosen title for the Christ whom Isaiah stated was; “as a root out of dry ground, despised and rejected by men [Is. 53:2-3].”

Nazareth—she was a whore to the Jews, a cesspool to the Assyrians, Persians, Babylonians, Egyptians and to all the conquering nations. Yet, it was the crossroad of the major trade routes of the known world. Only at that time, in that year, in that special place, would the news of a Messiah travel boldly to all of humanity.

It had to be Nazareth. It had to be just then, just there and just Him; that would touch the desperation of this world.

Yet, do we see that we are to counted as the ‘Nazarenes’ of own communities? Are we willing to go where the least of these are found and make our home among them? Are we willing to take on their title and say with dignity; “Yes, I stand beside the outcast, the immigrant and the powerless.” Are we willing to follow the Nazarene of Galilee; the region of outcasts and trouble-makers?

Word Search

· Arise and take. Again, we have the consistent message of God to his servant Joseph—and through him—to all of us men in Christ. “That vulnerable infant may not be your child—but you are to take responsibility for Him!”

· Archelaus [Herod Archelaus, 4 BC - 6 AD]; One of the four Herods, Archelaus was given the land of Judea when Herod the Great died (scripture tells us he was eaten internally by maggots). It seems he inherited all of his father’s worst traits and none of his father’s political saavy. Eventually, his rule was so bad, that even the Romans would not tolerate him. He was forced into exile and a Roman Governor was installed in his place.

Here is a summary of the children of Herod the Great from Nelson’s Bible Dictionary:

HEROD'S SONS

Herod Archelaus (4 B.C.—A.D. 6). Archelaus inherited his father Herod’s vices without his abilities. He was responsible for much bloodshed in Judea and Samaria. Jewish revolts, particularly those led by the ZEALOTS, were brutally crushed. Antipas and Philip did not approve of Archelaus’ methods; so they complained to Rome. Their complaints were followed by a Jewish delegation that finally succeeded in having Archelaus stripped of power and banished to Rome.

The only biblical reference to Archelaus occurs in [Matthew 2:22]. Matthew recorded the fear that Mary and Joseph had about going through Judea on their way from Egypt to Galilee because Archelaus was the ruler.

Herod Philip the Tetrarch. Philip, who inherited the northern part of his father Herod the Great's kingdom [Luke 3:1], must have been the best of Herod's surviving sons. During his long and peaceful rule, he was responsible for a number of building projects, including the city of Caesarea Philippi. He also rebuilt Bethsaida into a Greek city and renamed it Julias in honor of Augustus Caesar's daughter, Julia.

Herod Antipas (4 B.C.—A.D. 39). Antipas, another of Herod the Great’s sons, began as tetrarch over Galilee and Perea. He was the ruling Herod during Jesus’ life and ministry. Herod Antipas was first married to the daughter of Aretas, an Arabian king of Petrae. But he became infatuated with Herodias, the wife of his half-brother, Philip I. The two eloped together, although both were married at the time. This scandalous affair was condemned severely by John the Baptist [Matt. 14:4; Mark 6:17-18; Luke 3:19].

Although Antipas apparently had some respect for John the Baptist, he had John arrested and imprisoned for his outspokenness. Later, at a royal birthday party, Antipas granted Salome, the daughter of Herod Philip, a wish. Probably at the prodding of Herodias [Mark 6:19], Salome requested the head of John the Baptist [Matt. 14:6-12; Mark 6:21-29]. Since he was under oath and did not want to lose face before his guests, Herod ordered John's execution.

Antipas’ contacts with Jesus occurred at the same time as the ministry of John the Baptist. Because of Jesus’ popularity and miraculous powers, Antipas may have been haunted by the possibility that Jesus was John the Baptist come back to life.

The New Testament record shows that the relationship between Jesus and Antipas must have been strained. Jesus' popularity and teachings may have threatened Antipas who, according to the Pharisees, sought to kill Him [Luke 13:31]. By calling Herod a “fox” [Luke 13:32], Jesus showed His disapproval of his cunning and deceitful ways.

The next encounter between Antipas and Jesus occurred at the trial of Jesus [Luke 23:6-12]. Luke indicated that Herod could not find anything in the charges against Jesus that deserved death; so he sent Jesus back to Pilate for a final decision.

During this time of his rule, Antipas was experiencing political problems of his own. Aretas, the Nabatean king whose daughter had been Antipas’ wife before he became involved with Herodias, returned to avenge this insult. Antipas' troops were defeated. This, together with some other problems, led to his political downfall. Antipas was finally banished by the Roman emperor to an obscure section of France.

Herod Agrippa I (A. D. 37--44). Agrippa took over Antipas’ territory after Antipas fell from favor. Agrippa's power and responsibilities extended far beyond his ability. As a young person growing up in the imperial court, he developed an undisciplined and extravagant life-style. But Agrippa had enough charm and intelligence to stay on the good side of Rome.

After the Roman Emperor Caligula was murdered, Agrippa helped Claudius gain the throne. His loyalty was rewarded. Claudius confirmed Agrippa in his present position and added the territories of Judea and Samaria. This made Agrippa ruler of a kingdom as large as that of his grandfather, Herod the Great.

Very little about Agrippa I is recorded in Scripture. From the comments in [Acts 12:1-23], we know that Agrippa sought to win the favor of his Jewish subjects by opposing the early Christian church and its leaders. The record of his death as recorded in [Acts 12:20-23] shows the humiliating way he died. After his death, Palestine struggled through a number of chaotic years before Rome was able to establish order.

Herod Agrippa II (A. D. 50--100). Agrippa II was judged to be too young to assume leadership over all the territory of his father, Agrippa I. Thus, Emperor Claudius appointed Cuspius Fadus procurator of Palestine. But in A. D. 53, Agrippa II was appointed as the legitimate ruler over part of this territory.

The only reference to Agrippa II in the New Testament occurs in [Acts 25:13--26:32], which deals with Paul's imprisonment in Caesarea. Agrippa listened to Paul's defense, but the apostle appealed to Rome. Agrippa had no power to set him free.

Agrippa was caught in the Jewish revolts that preceded the destruction of Jerusalem in A. D. 70 under the Roman Emperor Titus. He continued to rule by appointment of Vespasian until his death in A. D. 100. His death marked the end to the Herodian dynasty in the affairs of the Jewish people in Palestine.

Scripture References regarding Herod

Matt 2:22

22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned {by God} in a dream, he departed for the regions of Galilee, (NAS)

Luke 3:1

1 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, (KJV)

Matt 14:3-10

3 For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife. 4 For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her. 5 And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet. 6 But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod. 7 Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask. 8 And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger. 9 And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her. 10 And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison. (KJV)

Mark 6:17-18

17 For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife: for he had married her. 18 For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife. (KJV)

Luke 3:19-20

19 But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, 20 Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison. (KJV)

Acts 12:20-23

20 And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king's country. 21 And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. 22 And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. 23 And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost. (KJV)

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